Treasures of the Baseball Hall of Fame

by John Thorn

In words and pictures, Treasures of the Baseball Hall of Fame spans the whole of baseball's history from its semi-mythical beginnings through successive ages of legends and giants all the way to today's heroes. A lithographic panorama of a game from the 1860s at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, home of the New York Knickerbockers, begins the Time Line that runs through the book. It includes mementos of the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869, the first openly professional team; bats and balls from the dead-ball era; the ball Cy Young pitched during his five hundredth victory; Eddie Gaedel's unique uniform; the bat that Bobby Thomson used to break the Dodgers' fans hearts; George Brett's pine tar bat -- a sequence of baseball's outstanding memories. The Hall of Fame's Special Exhibits are showcased, detailing the place in the game's heritage of the Negro Leagues, plus features on the Minor Leagues, the women's game, and baseball abroad. There are paintings, movie posters, magazines, baseball